Deformation elements are known in the prior art. Modern motor vehicles have to fulfill a number of different demands. In particular, the fender devices of the motor vehicle should satisfy a number of requirements which are in some cases difficult to combine. The regulations for the protection of pedestrians that are becoming more stringent in some countries require, for example, that in the event of a front impact with a motor vehicle, pedestrians can no longer be pushed under the vehicle but that they must rather be lifted away over the motor vehicle. This serves as protection from running over and furthermore has the advantage that an appreciable fraction of the impact energy can be absorbed by a correspondingly softly configured front hood of the motor vehicle, whereby the impulse loading on the pedestrian can be reduced.
Furthermore, modern fenders should withstand an impact at low speed without damage to the fender system and without visible external traces. To this end, the fender must be able to store impact energy and then release it again. Finally, fender systems must be able to absorb high forces in the event of an impact of the motor vehicle and introduce them specifically into the load paths of the motor vehicle.
DE 103 26 783 A1 discloses a motor vehicle bumper for connection to a supporting structure of a motor vehicle body, in which a decoupling device is provided comprising a first and a second force element which can be displaced relative to one another in the direction of force and a locking device which locks the first and the second force transfer element relative to one another. Further provided is a pull-back device that is connected between the first and the second force transfer element in such a manner that after removing the locking between the first and the second force transfer element. The device actively brings about a relative movement between the two. The pull-back device is configured as a prestressed spring. A disadvantage is that the system uses a number of components that increases the assembly effort and the manufacturing costs of the bumper device described there.
It is at least one object to provide a deformation element, a motor vehicle fender bracket with a deformation element, and a method for producing a deformation element, which is able to combine the different requirements and which allows cost-effective manufacture of a fender bracket system. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.